Family tree

I am presenting the beta version of my HTML family tree editor.

At the moment, I am actively filling in my own family tree, and without false modesty I can say that I am thrilled with the result of my work. There are still many bugs and unfinished parts, but I am actively developing the system.

I invite you to take part in testing the editor. I will be glad to receive your comments and suggestions.

The project consists of two main files: tree.html — the tree editor and family member cards, and familygraph.html. If you want, you can save these files locally on your computer, but it is better to load them from my site, because I constantly publish fixes and new features.

Important: this is a local file-based version. No data is saved to the server or sent anywhere. To save a file with the data you entered, use the “Download JSON” button.

Instructions and recommendations for using the files:

- Always save intermediate versions of your files. If you refresh the page, all entered but unsaved data will be lost.

- Enter information in a consistent style. Always start a full name with the last name, followed by first name and patronymic (if known), separated by spaces. Record the person’s last name as the one they lived or died with. Add a maiden name or other name variants using the dedicated add-name function.

- When editing, change the “Status” field to “confirmed.” This field was created for the server version, where multiple people can edit the tree at the same time. People with other statuses are not shown in the drop-down lists.

- On the left side of the screen there is a list of all people, sorted by birth date/year and by full name. When you select a person from that list, you see their descendant tree.

- When saving the JSON file, use versioning and create intermediate versions just in case. I recommend naming saved files with the date in YYMMDD format, for example: “260111 My-tree.json.”

- To edit a file, use the “Open JSON” button on the left side of the screen.

- For each person, specify both mother and father, as well as all marriages/partnerships, including the year the relationship ended if it was terminated, for example by divorce.

- Stepchildren in a marriage are shown with the “stepchild” marker. You do not need to create them separately or assign a stepmother or stepfather as the father.

- You manage your own reference lists for countries, cities, and education levels. There is a “+” button next to the reference-list drop-downs for that purpose. Keep naming consistent.